Employee engagement is a trending topic right now. Everyone is talking about it, but no one seems to agree on what it actually is. Some define engagement as including happy employees and job satisfaction, while others see employee engagement as being about work-life balance or even just the ability for employees to avoid being unhappy at work every day. An article from Quantum workplace says that, ”employee engagement is the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees feel toward the work they do, their teams, and their organization.”
Employee engagement has received a lot of attention from executives, individual contributors, and personnel management experts. It’s no secret that increasing employee engagement is a key to success in the workplace. But how can you ensure that your employees are engaged?
Employees who feel that they don’t have any connection with their job tend to quit to pursue the passion that they love. According to a Harvard Business Review article,“engaged employees perform better, experience less burnout, and stay in organizations longer.” Creating a culture that makes employees feel that they are cared for reduces the amount of stress that they encounter on a daily basis.
While it is true that you can’t force people to stay if they’re not happy, there are solutions that you can do to encourage employees to stay. In order for this to happen, companies need to focus on the needs of their employees instead of just focusing on numbers and metrics.
As people we have our own goals that are not part of our organizations’, by giving employees purpose, allowing them to pursue their goals, and investing in their growth and personal success will make them feel that their efforts are important.
Here are 3 ways you can encourage employee engagement:
- Ensure that your team members have the right roles. The best way to engage employees is to make sure that their talents and strengths are aligned with the expectations and responsibilities of their roles. When people feel like they have a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, they are more likely to be engaged. As an employer, you have the power to create that meaning and purpose by ensuring that your team members are in the right roles.
- Satisfy employees’ sense of achievement. When employees feel that they are making progress on their job, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated.
- Boost their confidence. Employees who are not confident in their abilities to complete work tasks tend to avoid them, while those who are more confident tend to initiate tasks that they consider enjoyable. Boosting employees’ confidence in their ability to complete work tasks can have a significant impact on employee engagement.
Even though engaged employees are more likely to stay at a job, their attitudes and actions can help companies find a better bottom line. So, you should do more than simply motivate your staff. You should also empower them to help the team and the company reaches goals. Start by making changes in the way your management structure interacts with the rest of the staff.
Utilize surveys and interviews to gather information on what your employees need or want, then implement new tools that will make staff engagement focus on those matters (like online training courses). Finally, have regular updates on what is happening at the company so that everyone knows what they’re working towards.
